The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group works to help people whose rights have been violated and investigates cases involving such abuse, as well as assessing the overall human rights situation in Ukraine. The Group also seeks to develop awareness of human rights issues through public events and its various publications

The action against Oleh Matiash is particularly worrying since he appears to have been arrested for a second time after he complained of unlawful actions by the Berkut riot officers. Oleh Matiash, who has grade 3 disability status, was detained on Nov 25 together with some other activists who got into a scuffle with Berkut riot police outside the Cabinet of Ministers building, including the son of Batkivshchyna MP, Tetyana Slyuz. All were released, however Matiash lodged a complaint about what he alleged were Berkut’s unlawful actions and the Pechersky District Police Station detained him. According to MP Volodymyr Ariev he was beaten while being held in a temporary holding unit, despite having been diagnosed as having concussion and injuries.

Ariev says that he was remanded in custody for two months as posing a potential danger to society and faces charges of hooliganism, which carry a sentence of from 3 to 7 years. Ariev also asserts that there is no evidence against Matiash, and that the Berkut officer whom Matiash supposedly injured did not seek medical assistance or in fact suffer any damage to health as a result of the scuffle.

According to another MP, Oleksandr Aronets from the VO Svoboda party, the court also remanded in custody a VO Svoboda activist, Vitaly Blahodarny, who was similarly detained on Nov 25.